International Students - The University of Tulsa

International Students

International group in costume

View our International Student brochure
You are an international student if you will require a visa to attend The University of Tulsa. U.S. citizens and permanent residents should apply using the domestic student application. You are considered a transfer student if you have attended another university following high school graduation. Students with fewer than 48 hours of college credit need to submit a high school transcript in addition to college transcripts. You are considered a first-year student if you are entering university for the first time. If you are applying for graduate school your application will need to be submitted through the graduate school application.

In order to have sufficient time to have an application processed, submit all documents, apply for a student visa, and travel to the US, students are advised to allow at least two to three months to complete the entire procedure. Visit International Student & Scholar Services for additional support.

Application Requirements

Recommended Materials

  • Counselor or teacher recommendation letters
  • Certificate of awards/competition: for global ambassador scholarship consideration. (Link to the scholarship tab)
  • Personal essay
  • SAT or ACT scores
    • Send your scores directly from the testing agency using the ETS (TOEFL/SAT) institution code: 6883 or the ACT institution code: 3444.

Transfer Credits

International students can transfer college/university credits to The University of Tulsa.

  • Apply to The University of Tulsa and submit all of the required materials.
  • Ask the registrar at each institution to send your official transcripts to The University of Tulsa.
  • If your transcripts are from a non-U.S. institution, send your course descriptions with certified translations. Advisers may ask for course syllabi as well.
  • A TU adviser will evaluate your courses and tell you how many transfer credits TU will accept. They will also tell you how many credits you will need to complete your degree.

Eligibility

  • You must complete the final 45 credit hours of your program at The University of Tulsa in order to receive a degree.
  • TU does not require secondary school transcripts if you have successfully completed more than 48 semester hours of academic credit.
  • You must be in good standing at the institutions you have attended.
  • If you have been dismissed or suspended from any college or university, TU will not consider you for admission for at least one year.
  • TU will not apply credit from another college or university during the dismissal period unless approved by the readmitting dean.
  • Students who were dismissed by The University of Tulsa must petition the dean of their college of enrollment for readmission.
  • TU also accepts IBAP, and A-Level (with department approval) credits, but if you complete these exams in secondary school, you will be considered a freshman.

Sponsored Students

If you will be sponsored by a government or agency, your sponsors must provide a signed and/or certified, official letter dated within the last 12 months that indicates that the sponsor will cover all costs. TU will also accept letters issued for admission purposes only.

If you intend to have your spouse and/or children accompany you, the sponsorship letter should also mention coverage of your dependents. If the sponsorship letter does not include your spouse and children, you must provide evidence of sufficient financial means of support for dependents on your Confirmation of Financial Resources.

  • Application Steps

    Apply

    Incoming first year and transfer students can apply through TU application (Opens June 1) or the Common Application. (Opens August 1).

    Submit application documents: You can upload your documents through your application portal or send them to international@utulsa.edu.

        • Passport identification page.
        • English proficiency test score (TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, PTE). Copies of official test scores are accepted if they can be verified by an admission official on the testing website. Send us copies of your test scores by email to international@utulsa.edu or by uploading it through your application portal. If your score report cannot be verified online, your application will not move forward in the process until we receive your official scores directly from the testing agency.
        • Transcripts: All high school/secondary transcripts. TU does not require secondary school transcripts if you have successfully completed more than 48 semester hours of academic credit.
        • Certificate of financial resources: The certificate of financial resources form, as well as a bank statement can be submitted by email at international@utulsa.edu. Students will not be admitted to The University of Tulsa and a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20) or (DS-2019) will not be issued until this information is provided and verified. Please click the link here to access the form.
  • Admitted students

    Congratulations on your admission to The University of Tulsa! Your journey to a wonderful education journey starts today. Follow the social media #utulsa to see what happens daily at our beautiful campus. Now that you have been admitted, you need to complete a few important steps to make it official.

    1. Receive your I-20 in your email (If you are currently in the United States in F-1 status, you will need to transfer your I-20 to TU before receiving pending I-20 from TU)
    2. Apply for F-1 visa.It’s very important to enter the United Sates with the proper visa. You must apply for a visa to enter the United States with student status.Use your SEVIS number on your Form I-20 to pay the SEVIS fee and apply for a visa.
    3. Activate the TU account and TU email.
    4. Fill out your Intent to enroll and pay the enrollment deposit fee.
    5. Schedule advising appointment.
    6. Take placement assessments. All incoming student to take a math and writing placement assessment in order to be enrolled in the correct classes. If you plan to major in a business or arts and sciences program and you plan to continue in a foreign language in which you have previous classroom or life experience, you will also need to take a language assessment.
    7. Apply for housing.
    8. Upload a photo for your TU ID
    9. Book your flight to Tulsa.
      You may enter the U.S. in initial F-1 status up to 30 days before the program start date on your I-20. If you are transferring your SEVIS record from another school in the U.S. and received a TU Transfer Pending I-20, you can enter the U.S. anytime prior to the program start date. Keep the following documents in your carry-on while flying, you will need them in-hand at the Port of Entry.
      DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR ENTRY TO THE U.S.
      Valid passport and F-1 visa, Form I-20, Evidence of admission at TU, SEVIS fee receipt.
    10. Set up payment plan or pay bill.
    11. Register for immigration check in with CGE.
    12. Register for orientation.
    13. Submit your immunization record.
    14. Arrive in Tulsa
      Tulsa international airport (TUL) is 5 miles from TU campus. Our representative will be there to greet you and arrange ground transportation from TUL to campus with no additional cost. Spring arrival dates are January 7 to January 9, 2024. Please note that a greeter service (Airport pick up) is offered during arrival dates. Register here.
  • Scholarships

    International Leadership Scholarship

    Scores to be consideredAmount
    4.0 GPA,IELTS 8.0, or TOEFL 105$15,000
    3.75-3.99 GPA, IELTS 7.5, or TOEFL 100$12,000
    3.50-3.74 GPA, IELTS 7.0, or TOEFL 90$9,000
    3.25-3.49 GPA, IELTS 6.5, or TOEFL 79$7,000
    3.00-3.24 GPA, IELTS 6.0, or TOEFL 70 $6,000

    International University Partnership Scholarship (2+2) – $13,500

    For the approved partners list, please contact international@utulsa.edu.

    International Transfer Student

    International students who transfer from a U.S institution with more than 24 credit hours may be eligible for domestic transfer scholarship.

    GPA to be consideredAmount
    3.50+$21,000
    3.00-3.49$16,000
    2.75-2.99Up to $10,000

    International Transfer Scholarship

    International students who transfer from an institution outside of the US with more than 24 credit hours and a GPA of 3.00+ may be eligible for an international transfer scholarship of $10,000.

    English language proficiency exams will be waived for transfer students who have 24 or more transferable credit hours from a U.S. post-secondary institution.

    Global Ambassador Scholarship

    This scholarship seeks to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional leadership experience, outstanding academic achievements, and a compelling statement on their dreams and aspirations for tackling global challenges after completing their degree with TU.

    Requirements:

    • Academic Achievement: Students who have participated and been recognized in the regional, national, or international competition are eligible for this scholarship.
    • Leadership experience: Participate in school or community activities to make an impact.
    • Statement of post-graduation goals.

    Amount of this award: $10,000-20,000. It is stackable with international leadership scholarships (Merit scholarships).

    IB Scholarship

    For students starting in fall 2023, TU will award an IB merit scholarship of $3,000 per year for IB students who complete the full IB diploma with a high school grade point average of at least 3.0. This scholarship is awarded with full time enrollment for eight semesters or until you earn your first degree, whichever comes first. For more information, visit the International Baccalaureate web page.

    Presidential Scholarship

    Presidential Scholarship recipients are awarded full tuition for eight semesters. Eligible students must have a 4.0 grade point average and must submit a separate application and resume when applying for the Presidential Scholarship. For more information, visit the Presidential Scholarship website.

  • Tuition and Fees
    Tuition and FeesAnnual Cost
    Fall and Spring Tuition*$48,340
    International Fee$372
    Health Insurance$2,223
    Student Fee$1,170
    Total Tuition and Fees$50,697

    Students who will have family members accompanying them must show an additional $3,000 for a spouse and $1,500 for each dependent child.

  • Living Expenses
    Living ExpensesAnnual Cost
    Textbooks$0
    Housing (on-campus) and Dining$14,078
    Personal Expenses$4,450
    Total Living Expenses$18,118

    There is a one-time student services fee of $500 for first-time enrollees.

    Housing and dining estimate based on double room in Hardesty Hall and a university meal plan with 12 meals per week (plus $400 Dining and $50 Game Day Dollars)

  • Summer Additional Expenses

    Students who intend to take summer classes will need to have additional funds as estimated below.

    TuitionCost
    International Fee$100
    Estimated Living Expenses$1,900 /month
  • Frequently Asked Questions

    International Admission

    After you receive your I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) from The University of Tulsa, first pay your I-901 SEVIS fee (this is separate from visa fees), then follow the U.S. Embassy/Consulate’s instructions to schedule an interview for your visa. It is important to apply for your visa as far in advance as possible

    After you are admitted to TU with confirmation of your financial resources, the DSO will issue your I-20. Please make sure you have submitted the confirmation of Financial Resources Form and bank certificate showing a balance of total cost of tuition, fees and living expenses.

    International students are eligible to work part time in on-campus positions only. Immigration law prohibits any one on an F or J visa to work outside of their educational institution. International students are not eligible to work in positions labeled ‘Work Study.’

    All undergraduate students are required to live on campus for their first and second year at TU. First year freshmen are required to live in our residence halls. Second year students are eligible to live in TU’s on-campus apartments. After completing their second year, students may live off campus if they wish.

    No. You must submit results from one of the English Proficiency exams TU honors.

    No. Because we must gauge your ability to succeed as a TU student individually, a letter from your school regarding their medium of instruction will not fulfill our English Language Proficiency requirement. You must submit results from one of the English Proficiency exams TU honors.

    Financial Aid through FAFSA is only available to U.S. citizens, therefore international students are not eligible for Financial Aid. We do not accept the CSS Profile at this time.

    Each applicant is evaluated for academic scholarship awards at the time of admission. Academic merit scholarships will be valid for four years (eight semesters). The Office of Admission only awards scholarships to incoming students.

    The University of Tulsa offers one select full tuition scholarship program, the Presidential Scholarship. You can learn more about the application process for that scholarship here.

    TU is able to offer merit-based (academic) scholarships to international undergraduate students from $4,000 to $15,000.  There is no separate application process for the scholarship.

    The total estimated cost for tuition, fees, housing and dining for the 2023-24 academic year is $68,811.

    Some application documents require manual processing. Please allow up to 2 business days for your application material to be approved by our staff.